Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Grex — Auntie + Tebs
(Bandcamp Geomancy , 2026, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-09-25

Auntie + Tebs Cover art

Grex is back with another blast of challenging musical statements, exclamations, and interrogations. When I first reviewed the band’s 2018 release Electric Ghost Parade, I wrote, “Musically, they’re all over the map, incorporating some sweet melodies, jazzy improvisations, indie guitar rock, strange bursts of sound effects and noise, and more.” That’s certainly just as true for Auntie + Tebs as it was for that album. Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu are good references for those who’ve never tapped into Grex’s particular brand of wildness. For me, at least, this is music I have to be in the mood for. The instrumental backing could often be described as avant-jazz with a healthy influx of really outside guitar work. Free-flowing drums (Robert Lopez) and electric bass (D. Chavez) lay down grooves, except when they don’t, and in addition to guitar, there are keyboards, cornet (Bobby Bradford), saxophone (Zoh Amba), and cello (Misha Khalikulov), though not all the time. Then there are the vocals, which are not generally delivered in what you’d call singing or even rapping, more a mixture of spoken and shouted. The words tend to have a rhythmic component, but they’re not delivered in regular patterns with rhymes. There are times I wish they’d release an instrumental version of the album, but I understand the importance of the words. A few of the tracks lean towards melodic song status, like “Rise” and “Full Mantis.” At times during the album, my mind brings up such diverse comparisons as Robert Wyatt, The Residents, Shabazz Palaces, and Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports. Figure that out! Along with Lopez on drums, the credited band members are Karl Evangelista (guitar, vocals, misc.) and Rei Scampavia (keyboards, vocals, misc.), while the others are listed as guests. This is truly a band that sounds like no other, and listeners who are tired of predictable music would do well to give it a try.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Grex / Karl Evangelista

More info
http://grex.bandcamp.com/album/auntie-tebs

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.